by Connie Oswald Stofko Sick and dying songbirds have been showing up from Florida to Pennsylvania with strange symptoms: crusty eyes, blindness and headshaking. Birds may be found on the ground, disoriented and unresponsive. This has been labeled a “mortality event”– where a large number of animals die within a short period of time due to what appears to be a similar cause. No affected birds have yet been reported in Western New York, but one was found on July…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You’ve seen it in winter, you’ve seen it in spring and now you get a peek at Tom Homme’s four-season landscape in summer. If you’d like to visit this Pendleton garden in person, you have one more chance this week. This is the last week of Open Gardens for 2021. Open Gardens take place Thursday and Friday. Like any other perennial garden, Homme’s garden changes throughout summer as one plant ends flowering and another comes into…
Dandelions can produce clones, according to an article by Carol Ann Harlos in WNY Gardening Matters. These common plants can use a process called apomixis, which is asexual reproduction without fertilization. The plants produced are identical to the parent plant. Read more here. Other new articles are: Article 161: Adapting Gardening to Your Physical Needs Article 163: Gardener Assistance with Monitoring Downy Mildews Affecting Cucurbit Plants and Basil Article 164: Pollen WNY Gardening Matters is produced by the Master Gardeners…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Jim Charlier wanted to build a gardening shed. But where could he put a shed in his small Buffalo yard? His wife Leslie suggested taking down the jungle gym that their daughter Margaux didn’t use and put a shed there. “It was Leslie’s idea,” Charlier said, “then I took it to the nth degree.” This elaborate, quirky and practical shed is just one of the cool things you can see this weekend on Garden Walk Buffalo,…
Don’t let a new invasive insect get established in Western New York. The box tree moth is an invasive pest that can significantly damage—and potentially kill—boxwood plants if left unchecked. Boxwood plants imported from Canada this spring could have been infested with the box tree moth. Box tree moths can produce several generations between June and October, so acting now is essential to prevent this pest from establishing itself in Western New York, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Now is the time that giant hogweed plants are blooming, making it a prime time to spot this invasive plant, according the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Giant hogweed can cause severe skin and eye irritation, including painful burns and permanent scarring. Getting even a tiny amount of the sap in your eyes can cause temporary or permanent blindness. The DEC also warns of wild parsnip, which can burn your skin. Giant hogweed…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can plant a second crop of cool weather vegetables now in Western New York. As the name implies, cool weather vegetables actually like cooler temperatures. Cool weather vegetables include basil, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, peas, radishes and spinach. Here are some reasons why you should try planting cool weather vegetables now: Plants such as lettuce won’t bolt in the autumn like they do when temperatures get warm in spring. Basil likes warm night temperatures…
It’s another amazing week for gardening events in Western New York! You can visit six garden walks this weekend, and several have nighttime tours, too. The East Side Garden Walk, which debuted in 2018 but was canceled during the pandemic in 2020, is back. You can visit again– or visit it for the first time. More than a garden tour, the East Side Garden Walk is a way for residents to take control of the narrative for their community, according…
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is hiring for four positions. If you want to work at the beautiful and historic Botanical Gardens or know someone who does, check out the summaries of the positions below. Get more details about the positions and find out how to apply here. Assistant Gardener (part-time) Assist in the care and maintenance of their indoor and outdoor gardens and help create exhibits. Learn skills from their horticulture team in a variety of areas….
by Connie Oswald Stofko When you visit Dan Murak’s gardens on the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View, you may think he’s got a green thumb and succeeds with every plant, all the time. But starting in the front yard with the sick peach tree that he replaced last week, Murak is happy to tell you about the downs as well as the ups of his landscape. You can visit his landscape this weekend on the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View, one of six garden…